Syrian FM to visit Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani is expected to undertake a two-day visit to Islamabad from Wednesday (today), marking the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly two decades and the first such visit since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Although neither side has officially announced the visit, diplomatic sources confirmed to The Express Tribune that he is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Aug 19.

During his stay, Shaibani is expected to hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and meet other senior Pakistani officials.

The visit assumes significance as Syria seeks to rebuild its diplomatic, political and economic relations following Assad's ouster in December 2024 and the emergence of a new government headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

It also comes at a time when Pakistan's two important regional partners, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, have developed close relations with the new Syrian leadership and are supporting efforts to stabilise and rebuild the war-torn country. Saudi Arabia has hosted al-Sharaa while Türkiye has maintained particularly close ties with Damascus since the fall of Assad.

For Islamabad, the Syrian transition offers an opportunity to strengthen a relationship that has historically survived major regional upheavals.

Pakistan and Syria established diplomatic relations in 1948, while political and defence ties grew substantially during the 1960s and 1970s. Pakistan provided military training and assistance to Syria, including the deployment of Pakistani Air Force pilots who flew Syrian fighter aircraft.

One of the best-known episodes in the history of the bilateral defence relationship came in April 1974, when Pakistani Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi, while serving with the Syrian Air Force, shot down an Israeli Mirage during an aerial engagement over the Golan Heights while flying a Syrian MiG-21.

The episode has been repeatedly documented by Pakistani military sources and remains part of the Pakistan Air Force's institutional history. Syria also honoured Alvi decades later, conferring its Medal of Bravery on the retired PAF officer in 2023.

Political relations were also strong. Syrian President Hafez al-Assad visited Lahore in 1974 to attend the Islamic Summit, while Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem visited Islamabad in 2007 for the 34th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Council of Foreign Ministers.

Pakistan maintained diplomatic engagement with Damascus even during the Syrian civil war, when relations between Assad's government and many Arab and Western states deteriorated sharply. Islamabad did not sever diplomatic ties with Syria and continued to maintain its embassy in Damascus.

The relationship also extended beyond defence and politics. Pakistan and Syria developed cooperation in education, with exchanges involving educational institutions and officials. Pakistan's Foreign Office records continuing contacts in the education sector, including a visit to Pakistan by Syria's education minister in 2021.

The resilience of the relationship was also evident in Islamabad's approach to the post-Assad transition. Pakistan moved relatively quickly to establish contact with Syria's new authorities and has repeatedly reiterated its support for Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity and efforts to restore stability.

Shaibani's visit therefore marks an important moment in the evolution of bilateral ties. It gives the two sides an opportunity to move beyond the largely political and defence-oriented relationship of the past and explore cooperation in reconstruction, trade, education, investment and human-resource development.

For Pakistan, closer engagement with Damascus could also complement its strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, both of which have considerable stakes in Syria's future.

For Syria's new leadership, Pakistan offers a country with which Damascus has maintained diplomatic relations through some of the most difficult periods in its modern history and one that has longstanding political, defence and educational links with Syria.

The Islamabad visit is thus likely to be watched as an early indication of how Pakistan and the new Syrian government intend to shape their relationship in the post-Assad era.